EDDIE MUNSON IMAGINES

UNEXPECTED EXPECTATIONS

seeing you without being next to him was a loss in his eyes. he was okay with whatever you had decided because he always wanted you to be happy, to be joyful in the life that seemed to be a pain in the ass for him. he wanted you to know that. but you would never know it, because all he did was pine after you for six months, hopeful that you might notice him.

he never even spoke to you, just stared and admired from a distance at his table when you walked by it. he could observe how you twirled your hair around your finger when you were focusing on an assignment or how you always rubbed the soles of your shoes together when you were anxious all day.

dustin had picked up the signs really quickly and mike had started to figure out. it was getting too obvious at lunch whenever he would be ignoring everything his friends were saying and instead, his eyes were glued to you talking to robin about something.

"eddie," dustin said, trying to catch his attention. "eddie!"

he looked over at him, taking his eyes away from you for a moment as dustin gave him a cautious look.

"what?" he asked, looking back down towards his plate.

"mike and i need to talk to you," he said.

"now?"

"yes, now. come on," he replied, standing up and grabbing his backpack along with the tray of half eaten food and walking to the trash can to dump it all. mike and eddie followed after him.

as eddie was leaving the cafeteria, dustin was holding the door open, he turned around to look at you once more and that's when it happened.

you glanced away from robin for a moment and made eye contact with him briefly, a small smile ghosting over your lips before you looked back over at her to continue the conversation.

he didn't want to mention it to his friends yet. he was worried about what they were about to tell him and if it were about you in any sort of way.

"okay, eddie," dustin spoke up as he nodded, looking somewhat down at him from the height. mike was towering over the two of them. "we know you like ______."

eddie nodded, he didn't want to even try and deny it considering how obvious it was for everybody around him. hell, everybody had to know. dustin didn't know how to continue the sentence so, mike stepped in this time.

"so," he began, looking over at dustin who nodded. "we overheard somebody say that she was dating steve harrington."

eddie could feel it, the small chips at his heart as he tried to understand what they were saying to him.

"look, man," dustin began. "we're sorry. we really are, but if it's not meant to be, then it isn't. but who knows, maybe she'll leave steve. nancy did."

eddie glanced briefly up at them before sighing and turning around to go back into the cafeteria as dustin and mike followed after him hurriedly. as he was about to open the door, you did and ran straight into him, spilling your drink all over your shirt.

"shit," you muttered, looking down at it as you let out a sigh before looking up to see who it was. "oh, eddie, hey."

eddie paused. you knew his name.

"h-hey," he stumbled over his words, eyes glued to yours as you smiled at him sweetly, the can of soda still in your hand, empty now.

"um, do you need any help with that, ______?" mike asked as you shook your head, still staring back at eddie before breaking eye contact to smile at the two boys behind him.

"dustin, mike," you greeted. "dustin, steve was wanting to call you later. ask about a date he's going on."

"wait? a date?" he asked, confused as you nodded.